Congenital nutritional myodegeneration ( white muscle disease ) in a red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) calf

Authors: Pourliotis K, Roubies N, Giadinis ND, Karatzias H, Psychas V, Brellou GD, Sofianidis G
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 57, Issue 4, pp 244-247, Aug 2009
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Deer, Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant
Subject Terms: Congenital disease, Diagnostic procedures, Diet/rations/food, Locomotor, Muscle/myology, Disease/defect, Nutrition/metabolism, Pathology, Selenium, Trace elements, Vitamins, Nutritional disease/disorder
Article class: Clinical Communication

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Abstract: CASE HISTORY: A 5-day-old red deer calf was submitted with tachypnoea and dyspnoea, and was reluctant to move.
CLINICAL FINDINGS: Muscular damage was established via elevated creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) activities (5,000 U/L), while concentrations of Se in whole blood were low (24.8 nmol/L). The animal died despite treatment with penicillin and streptomycin and 0.1 mg/kg Se/vitamin E administered by S/C injection.
DIAGNOSIS: Necropsy and histological examination of cardiac and skeletal muscle confirmed the presumptive diagnosis of congenital white muscle disease (WMD). Prophylactic administration of a Se/vitamin E commercial preparation (as above) to another calf born in the same herd one month later was associated with good health and apparently normal growth and development.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Congenital WMD due to Se deficiency can be fatal in red deer calves. However, prophylactic administration of Se and vitamin E to neonatal calves may be beneficial for neonatal red deer calves.
KEY WORDS: Red deer, Cervus elaphus, nutritional myodegeneration, congenital, white muscle disease, selenium, vitamin E

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